cranial nerve
US /ˈkreɪ.ni.əl nɜːrv/
UK /ˈkreɪ.ni.əl nɜːrv/
1.
any of 12 pairs of nerves that arise directly from the brain, not from the spinal cord, and pass through separate apertures in the skull to innervate structures in the head, neck, and trunk.
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The optic nerve is a cranial nerve responsible for vision.
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Damage to a specific cranial nerve can lead to facial paralysis.